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Description

A route the quality of which is the equal of any in the park. Extolled as a thin hands crack in guide books, I found this overhanging beauty more of a finger crack. Protection is abundant, but you have to hold on to place it. If you can make it through the crux to the pod just below the rim, you can eke out a rest. The finishing moves may not be the hardest on the route, but they are technical enough to wish you had the strength and endurance of a demigod.

I think Hercules is a more consistent crack route than Wanger Banger, its "grade mate" and perhaps pumpier.

Protection

A #3 Camalot or similar can be used in the lower easy section. Above that #1 Camalots and smaller can be used. If you can hang out and place nuts like the legends of yore, more power to you.

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IMO this deserves 1 or 2 stars of 5. It's fairly short and the upper part of the crack is very crufty (a piece of mine rolled over and blew out as the cruft and crystals in the upper crack crumbled away. The climbing is challenging and insecure off fingers and liebacking in a flare that is quite awkward and not very inspiring. It is however fairly unique and the challenges it presents are kinda cool but I doubt I'll ever go back for a redpoint. Protects mostly with gear in the .5-1" range, I didn't find a single placement for anything as large as a #1 camalot, and I was wishing I had brought more red and yellow aliens or similar.
Jan 11, 2004

Great crack and a sweet little redpoint. I went back three times to send this little number in good style. Any Creek enthusiast would love wanger banger, no lay backing, no contrived climbing just beautiful overhanging .75 finger stacks! ENJOY! Oh and watch how you set up the anchor, bring lots of cord or very long webbing!
Jan 25, 2007

Was out at bush crack a few weeks ago, and walked over to Hercules to take a look (its out of my league). There were quite a few bees flying in and out of the crack about halfway up, leading me to believe there may be a nest.

If onsighted in a Beekeeper suit, with a bee smoker on your rack, would that bump up the rating to 5.12bee? Or would it be a new route... Hercubees?
Mar 30, 2011

Was out at the Hercules today. Talked to another party that saw a bee in the crack and opted not to do it. I threw the toprope on it anyway... no problems! With bees that is. Maybe just cold enough right now they are dormant? No signs of bees or a hive in the crack.

Also, I think this thing is very tough for .11c. The crux is short but pretty fierce, and the crack is set back a ways in the poddy things which made for awkward jams fighting my own forearms. Plus the thing is steep! Overhangs 15 degrees? I think this is a definite step up in difficulty from Wangerbanger and Vector.
Nov 23, 2011

I strongly agree with Josh's old comments above. I thought the climbing was mediocre, the rock quality was awful, and the anchor a pain in the ass (I recommend bringing long cord/webbing). A tough and awkward onsight for the grade.

That said, bees were not a problem (on a typical January day) and it is a unique and challenging flare.
Jan 28, 2013